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Facebook Home destroys any notion of privacy

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Re: Facebook Home destroys any notion of privacy

#81
post #80

I find this line extremely cynical: > Facebook is going to use all this data — not to improve our lives — but to target better marketing and advertising messages at us It's entirely possible that better targeted marketing and advertising can "improve" our lives. To state this outcome as a dire dystopian end point is making a huge cynical assumption about the motives of companies and commerce in general. I honestly be…

I believe you mis-characterized the statement you're objecting to: "...not to improve our lives — but to target better marketing and advertising messages at us."

"but to target better marketing and advertising messages at us" does not equal "are out to intentionally make our lives worse". His point is that is clear that FB _will_ benefit from the newly acquired data. You have confidence we all _might_ benefit. The OP points out FB's history, which is undeniably historic in how it has challenged social norms for privacy. It is also no secret that FB (and Google, and ...) make money from advertising, and that rich datasets of details about people make for financially richer advertisers. Skepticism (maybe a little cynicism, even) is not unhealthy or "mean", in this context.

Re: Facebook Home destroys any notion of privacy

#82
Instead of bloggers and "journalists" complaining about a service they do not pay for, they should do the only thing they can. Delete their accounts. I saw the writing on the wall 3 years ago and did it. I was not worse off afterwards.

Passively complaining (while at the same time, ironically, including FB buttons) without taking actual actions does nothing.

Re: Facebook Home destroys any notion of privacy

#83
post #65

I don't think we should be too surprised with how FB will use the new data. I'm just wondering who Facebook is going to share this data with. I know a guy who works at one of Facebook's "partner companies" that pays gobs for FB user data. This partner company gets (as far as they can tell) fully-populated user data in Facebook's user dumps - way, way more information than they need or ask for. So the partner company…

> They're scared of the legal liability of holding onto all the personal details they receive don't need but Facebook shares anyway because Facebook genuinely doesn't care as long as they're monetizing.

I find it odd that Facebook isn't scared of the same legal liability. Infact, they should be more scared. I don't see any reason why Facebook would give away more information than they need to. They have the skill and resources to filter data themselves. I highly doubt that they would throw away personal and sensitive to other companies.

Re: Facebook Home destroys any notion of privacy

#84
post #18

I'm not sure why I would allow Facebook on to my phone in the first place, let alone to run the whole show. Their privacy record isn't exactly great and runs contrary to their business model. I don't trust their app (look at the email address change nonsense), let alone a bigger one, and the page renders just fine in a mobile browser. I also find the whole "ping me when a close friend does or says anything" aspect of…

If you don't trust them, you wouldn't install this app. So... whats the issue? Nobody will be harmed by this.

What happens if you don't install the app but it comes pre-installed on your shiny new phone and you're not tech savvy enough to take it off?

Re: Facebook Home destroys any notion of privacy

#85
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A launcher is just another app; it doesn't have any extra powers. It just happens be the app that is launched/restored when the home button is pressed -- that's it.

It also replaces the app drawer, which means when you click an app icon to launch an app -- from either the home screen or the app drawer -- FB Home can make a note of it and send that information to FB.

Pray may I ask how anyone can use than information to harm me?

Re: Facebook Home destroys any notion of privacy

#86

This is idiotic. For one, it's no secret which apps are popular. Facebook doesn't need a trojan horse to figure that out, they just need to look at App Annie. For another, any app with location services permissions can do exactly what he's describing. Also what does "Android allows Facebook to do whatever it wants on the platform, and that means accessing the hardware as well," mean? Unless you're rolling your own ve…

Exactly, I don't see this any more privacy invasive than Google Now. It really boils down to how much you trust the company/app.

Why would you trust any company of that size?

Re: Facebook Home destroys any notion of privacy

#87
Ads suck, but the bigger danger is that the uber-profile will be available for subpoena, or the govt might just flip the fuckit bit and take it because they can. Being allowed to run a billion dollar business unmolested by the govt would be a strong incentive, especially for a company not known for privacy advocacy.

Re: Facebook Home destroys any notion of privacy

#88

This is idiotic. For one, it's no secret which apps are popular. Facebook doesn't need a trojan horse to figure that out, they just need to look at App Annie. For another, any app with location services permissions can do exactly what he's describing. Also what does "Android allows Facebook to do whatever it wants on the platform, and that means accessing the hardware as well," mean? Unless you're rolling your own ve…

I agree. Besides, most people who use Facebook are those "I have nothing to hide" types.

So? I still care about major parts of a society being that recklessly dumb. I live on this planet, it's my problem, too. I cannot afford to live in a "democracy" full of people who are so easily influenced and/or blackmailed. Their votes count as much as mine, so this is a bug.

Re: Facebook Home destroys any notion of privacy

#89

This is idiotic. For one, it's no secret which apps are popular. Facebook doesn't need a trojan horse to figure that out, they just need to look at App Annie. For another, any app with location services permissions can do exactly what he's describing. Also what does "Android allows Facebook to do whatever it wants on the platform, and that means accessing the hardware as well," mean? Unless you're rolling your own ve…

> As far as I can tell this is just another third party launcher with the same privacy implications as any app that has GPS permissions. Except for the part where no other app collects or maintains anywhere near as much data about your personal history, your friends, what you look like, what your friends look like, what you like, what your friends like, who you talk to, what you talk about, what your friends talk abo…

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